The Italian national judo team continues to achieve weight results and achieved an important third place with Antonio Esposito on the second day of Grand Slam in Baku 2023, currently taking place on the tatami of the National Gymnastics Arena. The Italian team thus reaches 3 podiums in the Azerbaijani event after the success of Assunta Scutto and the third position of Odette Giuffrida on day 1.
Today it was Esposito who took the cover, equaling his best career placing in a Slam (he was also 3rd in Budapest 2022) and taking home 500 fundamental points to get back into the direct Olympic qualification zone for Paris 2024 in the category up to 81 kg. The 28-year-old Neapolitan played a high-level tournament, winning five matches and losing only in the quarterfinals to the Austrian Shamil Borchashvili by waza-ari.
The 2018 European bronze medalist was able to defeat the Icelandic Hrafn Arnarsson (ippon), the host Shafiyev Eljan (hansoku make), the Georgian Zaur Dvalashvili (hansoku make), the Frenchman Arnaud Aregba in regulation time and in the final the Uzbek Nurbek Murtozoev due to penalties after 2’25” of combat.
Judo, Assunta Scutto wins the Grand Slam in Baku! Giuffrida conquers another podium
The other Italian players involved in Azerbaijan today were all eliminated before the quarter-finals: Leonardo Casaglia paid the price on his debut with Borchashvili (Esposito’s executioner in the quarterfinals) in the -81 kg, while Martina Esposito and Irene Pedrotti they exited the scene in the first round in the -70 kg category, losing to the Turkish Fidan Ogel and the Kosovan Loriana Kuka respectively. Stop at the first meeting in the -63 kg also for Nadia Simeoli against the Russian Dali Liluashvili, while Flavia Favorini she stopped in the round of 16 with the strong Hungarian Szofi Ozbas after previously beating the Uzbek Marjona Nurulloeva.
Below is the summary of the podiums of the second day of the Judo Grand Slam Baku 2023:
-63 kg F
1 Szymanska (Pol)
2 Ozbas (Hun)
3 Sharir (Isr) e Haecker (Aus)
-70 kg F
1 Teltsidou (Gree)
2 Tsunoda Roustant (Esp)
3 Gahie (Fra) e Matic (Cro)
-73 kg M
1 Heydarov (Aze)
2 Pelivan (Mda)
3 Ahadov (Uzb) and Makhmadbekov (AIN)
-81 kg M
1 Tckaev (Aze)
2 Borchashvili (Or)
3 A.Esposito (Ita) e Kohara (Japan)
Photo: IJF
2023-09-23 15:29:31
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